Without a sausage in the stadium and artificial fertilizer for the lawn? Can it work?
A Britishprofessional club “Forest Green Rovers” is currently celebrating success with this concept – and could soon become a role model.
Club owner Dale Vince says, “We became the world’s first vegan football club because it’s better for the environment and animal welfare, but also because it improves player performance and gives fans healthier, delicious food on match days”
In addition, he says, top athletes like Lionel Messi,Lewis Hamilton, and Venus Williams have also gone vegans to improve their performance, they couldn’t be that wrong.
(The video is in English with German subtitles)
And the most important thing – they are successful!
They have been declared the “greenest football club in the world” by FIFA, are the first sports club to be recognized as carbon-neutral by the United Nations, and their stadium is the only completely vegan football stadium in the world.
SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Wolf, golden jackal, and large-spotted civet among hundreds of animals granted special status in a first major shake-up of the inventory for over 30 years.
The move is part of a revision to the Wildlife Protection Law, which started with a ban on the trade and consumption of wild animals in February last year China has added 517 species to its list of major protected wild animals, part of its campaign in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic to end the wild animal trade and destruction of habitats.
A joint statement on Friday by the forestry and agriculture ministries said adjusting the list had become “extremely urgent” because of recent changes in China’s wildlife situation.
A total of 980 wild animals are now under state protection.
Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica). Wildlife animal.
The ministries promised to work with local governments to identify and protect the habitats of the animals added to the list, which include the endangered large-spotted civet and several species of birds that have dwindled in number in recent years.
Those who hunt and traffic the animals face fines and even custodial sentences for “level one” protected species, such as the critically endangered panda, pangolin, and Yangtze finless porpoise.
Neophocaena phocaenoides, Finless Porpoise, captive. Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
China has been trying to crack down on the wildlife trade since January 2020, after the first cases of COVID-19 were linked to a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan that was known to sell exotic animal species.
Scientists speculate that the novel coronavirus has forced people to re-examine the link between animals and humans and pushed wildlife conservation to the top of the legislative agenda.
JGR1CN Lhasa, China. 10th July 2017. Tibetan antelope Credit: Xinhua/Alamy Live News
Back in mid-February, the legislative committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) added a revision of the Wildlife Protection Law to its 2020 to-do list; later that month, the NPC’s Standing Committee announced a ban on the eating of wild animals and a crackdown on the illegal wildlife trade.
Then, in June, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture issued a consultation draft of an update to China’s list of protected animals.
China has also promised to step up efforts to protect forests and wetlands and to seal off nature reserves behind “ecological protection red lines” in a bid to reduce human exposure to virus spillovers.
Prior to 2017, the Wildlife Protection Law didn’t specify how often the list of protected animals should be updated. But a revision that came into force at the start of that year requires an update every five years.
Large-spotted civet
China’s parliament announced plans to implement a permanent nationwide ban on wildlife trade and trafficking in February, though it left big loopholes for the captive breeding of animals traded for fur or used in traditional Chinese medicine, and so bear and tiger farms are ignored.
In the first nine months of 2020, China prosecuted more than 15,000 people for wildlife crimes, up 66% from the same period a year earlier, state prosecutors said.
And I mean…While heralding big progress, some say the consultation draft still leaves conspicuous omission of important species, principles, and mechanisms to make it easier to update again…
Here is a link to take a different view of China’s new list of animal welfare laws.
Nevertheless! China has never claimed it has the best animal welfare law in the world, and in fact, China has missed some of the development of the animal welfare movement.
On the other hand, China is one of the few countries that has taken radical measures in the wildlife markets due to the corona pandemic.
After all, the number of protected animals is almost twice, and we welcome that first and foremost.
We hope and even believe that the new regulations will be respected by the people and authorities, and we are also hopeful that China will soon expand and improve its animal welfare.
But instead of criticizing China, we should ensure that our animal welfare law with its thousand pages of paper finally fulfills its function consistently and fairly for those for whom it was made, the animals.
WAV Comment – Whilst we celebrate this fantastic news from our friends at the Norwegian Animal Protection Alliance, we must remember that regarding the situation for Mink farmers in Denmark; they are now heading into Finland to continue their disgusting business. Also, the Chinese fur industry is ready to step in at a moments notice to take up the slack of any reductions in the European fur trade. We have to be on our guard constantly. But this is news we celebrate gladly.
Photo – Act 4 Wildlife
Only six mink farms left in Norway!
5 March 2021
Dyrevernalliansen
Norwegian mink farming is coming to a close. The latest numbers show that there are only six mink farms left in the country, down from 34 in October 2020.
Fur farming was outlawed by the Norwegian Parliament in June of 2019, but the law specified that breeders already in operation have permission to continue until 2025. When the ban on fur farming was enacted, there were roughly 180 fur farms in the country, of which about half were breeding mink.
Ever since the ban was enacted, the number of farms has steadily decreased. Recent numbers acquired from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority now show that nearly all mink farms have shut down, and that there are only six farms left in Norway. This is a drastic reduction from October 2020, when there were 34 mink farms in operation, holding a combined total of roughly 250.000 mink.
Norway is one of few countries with mink farms where no Covid-19 outbreak has yet to be documented in mink. However, ever since the first cases of Covid-19 were discovered in minks during the summer of 2020, the Norwegian Animal Protection Alliance has repeatedly called on the Norwegian government to shut down what remains of the industry. Even though the government again and again has refused to close down the remaining farms, a large majority of mink breeders appears to have made the decision to shut down voluntarily.
As part of the ban on fur farming, the Norwegian Parliament has promised around 200 fur breeders a lucrative compensation package. In addition to setting aside funds dedicated to re-training farmers and to cover the cost of tearing down farms, Norwegian fur breeders are likely to be given a compensation totalling roughly 200 million Euros.
In February, the Norwegian Parliament decided to increase the size of the re-training grant given to farmers by approximately 2.5 million Euros, because a much larger number has closed down this year than expected. The Norwegian Animal Protection Alliance will continue to push forward for a complete shutdown of all fur farms as soon as possible.
On 3 March we celebrated World Wildlife Day with the official launch of the “EU Stop Circus Suffering” campaign, calling for an EU Ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. A new opinion poll confirms that this is what the 68% of Europeans are asking for.
For immediate release: Brussels 3 March 2021
23 Member States have already adopted national legislation restricting the use of either all, or exclusively wild, animals in circuses, reflecting the public’s position on ethical and animal welfare grounds. Statements from animal experts and veterinary bodies backed up these decisions.
However, France, Germany, Italy and Spain don’t have any national restrictions and Czech Republic, Finland and Hungary only adopted restrictions on the use of some species of wild animals.
Eurogroup for Animals commissioned an opinion poll to Savanta ComRes who interviewed citizens from Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Spain.
The results clearly show there’s no more room for this cruel entertainment:
The use of wild animals in circuses is cruel and wild animals should not be used for public entertainment – 68% agree
The European Union should ban the use of all wild animals in circuses – 62% agree
The European Union should guarantee that cruel uses of animals are not allowed – 83% agree
Circuses that still use wild animals must reinvent themselves by developing high quality shows with human performers – 69% agree
Circuses showing wild animals is educational – 20% agree
Circuses are travelling entertainment services moving around Europe, and performing wild animals are transported across Member States, where circuses pose severe public safety and animal health and welfare risks. That’s why we call for an EU wide ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, since bans at the national level won’t prevent these movements with all the risks and distresses for the animals.
Only an EU wide ban can guarantee the end of this outdated entertainment and provide a coherent and effective solution to the physical and emotional suffering of wild animals in circuses. The Commission should take the wishes of EU citizens very seriously and use their powers to finally end this unnecessary suffering while confirming the EU as the International leader for animal welfare.
Well said fella !!
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals.
Nearly 1 million citizens have already signed the Infocircus petition, with the “Stop Circus Suffering” campaign we will keep backing the strong public support and move a step further bringing this request at the institutions level.
Live transport update: the Elbeik vessel change course
4 (and 5) March 2021
AWF
No longer headed to Cartagena, the vessel carrying nearly 2,000 bovines is now directed to Piraeus. The animals’ conditions and destiny are still unclear.
After stopping near Crete to refuel and get feed for the animals, the Elbeik vessel was supposed to navigate to Cartagena, where the Karim Allah is still docked with all the bovines onboard.
Today its final destination changed, as it’s heading to the Piraeus port (Greece), which is approved for Border Inspection.
This recent move does not shine light on the animals’ destiny. Our member Compassion In World Farming is in direct contact with the Greek veterinarian authorities, asking them to get onboard if the vessel docks.
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that animals are sentient beings. In line with this basic EU principle, we call on the support of the Greek Authorities and the European Commission to take all the necessary steps to get the Elbeik to dock at Piraeus.
After three months at sea, as sentient beings, these animals deserve to be unloaded, checked by veterinarians and relieved from their suffering.
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WAV Comment – This is news from the AWF dated 4/3. We also did a post yesterday also in which we declared the Elbeik was heading to Piraeus (Greece).
5/3/21 – We are currently monitoring the movement of the vessel, and can confirm that the Elbeik is currently underway and due to arrive at Piraeus at around 1500hrs local time; 5/3/21.
Temperature in the region is 16 degrees C, 61 degrees F.